Special teams, fluke goal undo Flyers in 4-1 loss
As the Flyers were left to reel in their series-opening 2-0 loss to Washington on Thursday, two aspects of their game that needed improvement stood out — special teams play, and generating offense.
The Flyers started Game 2 with a renewed vigor, as they fired 19 shots — matching their Game 1 total — in the first period alone. They found themselves down 1-0 after the first 20 minutes, but the ball was still in their court and the goals were surely to come if that effort was sustained.
What they didn't count on, however, was Braden Holtby. They put a total of 42 shots on Holtby — which he stopped all but one — and were otherwise stifled in a 4-1 loss on Saturday (see recap).
Jakub Voracek finally put the Flyers on the scoreboard at 9:37 of the second period, for the first goal the Orange and Black tallied all series. They were able to sustain pressure at various intervals in the game, but Holtby was there every step of the way. Subsequently, he now has 60 saves on 61 Flyers shots in the series.
Poor special teams play has also been part of the Flyers' undoing. They were scoreless on four attempts, including a two-man advantage in the first period as critical Capitals Jason Chimera and John Chimera served unrelated cross-checking minors, and now stand a combined 0 for 8 in the series.
The Flyers' power play had been adequate over the course of the regular season, standing at 11th overall (at 18.9 percent) and 11th on the road (20.3 percent). It hasn't been much of a weakness, especially with the chemistry that had been developed between Claude Giroux and Shayne Gostisbehere. But with eight scoreless opportunities at their disposal, it's crucial for the Orange and Black to dig deep.
Penalty kill has also been a cause for concern, as the Flyers allowed goals on both penalties that they've had to serve. Their discipline had improved greatly from Game 1 — serving two penalties as opposed to six — but they've now allowed the Capitals to capitalize on three of eight opportunities.
Of the six goals that the Caps have scored all series, three have come on the powerplay (two from Carlson, and one from Alexander Ovechkin). If the Flyers are looking to rally back from the 2-0 deficit that they've found themselves in, a stronger effort on the penalty kill will be much needed.
While Steve Mason has kept the Flyers alive throughout much of his career in the Orange and Black (including Game 1), there are still going to plenty of nights where he looks human. Game 2 was one of those nights. He had allowed four goals on 23 shots faced, including a blooper-reel goal that was credited to Chimera midway through the second period.
There's no excuse for Mason to allow a goal of that caliber, which was basically scored on a Karl Alzner dump-in from the Caps' zone. Chimera had tipped the puck at the red line, and as Mason went to play it, it just trickled by his pad. It's a goal that will continue to be replayed over the next several games, and should the Flyers lose this series, it will serve as a microcosm.
Chimera goal pic.twitter.com/hcjpn1cBs4
— Stephanie (@myregularface) April 17, 2016
Every goaltender does have an off-night — Mason is certainly no exception. Saturday was an off-night for him, and he will certainly look to bounce back as the series progresses. Mason's demonstrated that he can bounce back from an off-night, and Game 3 will be a good opportunity for him to do so. Yeah, the goal was poor, but bottom line, Mason can't help the team score goals.
It's not too often the Flyers find themselves 2-0 in a playoff series — this first-round series is the seventh time it's happened since 2001 — but it will be interesting to see how they bounce back when the series shifts back to Philadelphia. They've shown improvement in getting pucks to the net, but found themselves suffocated by Holtby.
While their offense has improved, they will have to continue to build off of that going forward. If they can crack Holtby and improve in their special teams — their penalty kill, in particular — it remains possible that they could put a dent in the Capitals' series lead.
If there's anything the Flyers have proven this season, it's how resilient they can be, and how they can bounce back when behind the eight-ball. As the series shifts to Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers will get the opportunity to prove how resilient they can be.
Rob Riches is a contributor to Flyerdelphia and Sports Talk Philly. Follow him on Twitter @Riches61
